Bowling ball grip structure



Patented Oct. 20, 1953 BOWLING BALL GRIP STRUCTURE Vernon L. Anderson, Kansas City, Mo., assignor of one-half to Paul W. Christensen, Kansas City, Mo.

Application April 30, 1951, Serial No. 223,786

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in bowling balls and particularly in the grip structure therefor and has for its primary object the pro vision of means of ventilating one of the fingerreceiving openings thereof, particularly the cavity for receiving the thumb and including an opening formed. in the ball itself for placing the thumb cavity in register with the atmosphere.

Those familiar with the game of bowling and particularly the experts, are well aware of the fact that a firm grip on the bowling ball is highly essential to proper control and ease of playing. The grip structure of conventionalbowling balls being fully unventilated, causes slippage du to perspiration and mere roughening of the inner surfaces of the finger-receiving cavities is not for the finger cavity of bowling balls and including a plurality of substantially radial Openings having lateral passages or branches communicating directly with the thumb-receiving cavity.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bowling ball grip structure wherein the aforesaid air-receiving holes or openings and passages terminate in register with the thumb-receiving cavity at the point of contact of the thumb with the ball in the cavity so as to additionally increase the grip.

More minor objects will become clear as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is an el vational view of a bowling :ball, parts being broken away and in section to reveal the novel grip structure of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the thumb-receiving cavity and illustrating the arrangement of the grip structure hereof.

The bowling ball illustrated in the drawing is broadly designated by the numeral Ill and includes a spherical body that may be made from any suitable material such as wood, plastic or rubber such as is quite common and having grip structure that includes a plurality of fingerreceiving cavities, two of which are illustrated in Fig. 1, and designated by the numerals l2 and M respectively.

All of the openings are disposed substantially radially and the opening I2 for receiving finger l6 7 of a hand 18 of a player is normally shorter than the opening M for receiving thumb 26.

In order to ventilate the thumb-receiving opening I4 and to present a roughened surface 22 r 2 within the cavity l4 against which the thumb 20- engages, there are provided a plurality of elongated openings 24 adjacent the cavity it, each of which in turn is provided with a number of laterals or branches 26 that terminate within the wall portion 22 of cavity It and place the openings 24 in direct communication with cavity M.

It is seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing that the openings 24 are preferably arranged in a semicircular row and as shown in Fig. 1, the openings 24 are substantially radial and preferably have their longitudinal axes parallel with the longitudinal axis of cavity M. The innermost ends of the openings 24 may terminate short of the inner end of cavity l4 and the plurality of spaced branches 26 are preferably disposed with their longitudinal axes parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of openings 24 and cavity It is now apparent that through use of the novel improvement in grip structur for bowling balls forming the subject matter hereof, the thumb-receiving cavity 14 is fully ventilated at all times and by virtue of the air that is permitted to enter the cavity l4 through the openings 24 and laterals 26, the tendency for perspiration to form on thumb 29 is reduced tremendously. Furthermore, by virtue of the lateral branches 26 opening within the cavity M, and particularly along wall 22 thereof wherein thumb 20 engages th bowling ball ID, a roughened surface is presented that increases the grip that is made possible on surface 22 by thumb 20.

Another advantage results in the cooperation of the air within the laterals 26 trapped at least temporarily by the thumb 20 closing the passages 26 and thereby increasing the grip of thumb 20 on the ball l0.

Variances in details of construction that fairly come Within the spirit of this invention are manifestly contemplated hereby and it is, therefore;

desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a bowling ball, a spherical body having a number of finger-receiving cavities, and an arouate row of openings adjacent one cavity, each opening registering with the atmosphere and having a number of lateral passages connecting the same with the one cavity.

2. In the invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the passages of at least one of the openings registers with the cavity at a sages interconnecting the opening with the cavity 10 and disposed longitudinally of the latter, certaiim I of the passages registering with the cavity at a zone of finger contact to present an anti-slip,

finger-engaging surface within the cavity, other of the passages registering with the cavity remote from said zone to present venting means for the cavity.

VERNON L. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent STATES PATENTIES Number Name Date 1,021,490 Scully Mar. 26, 1912 025,478 Murphy May 7, 1912 235:1:8 335 Klinkosh Aug. 8, 1950 Juza Apr. 22, 1952 

